Your chance to lead: yearlong class prepares people for top posts

Want to run for the mayor’s office someday, maybe even a congressional seat?

Or, possibly, lead a not-for-profit organization in the area?

Many careers in Park City and Summit County government, as well as some in the nonprofit sector, were incubated in a program known as Leadership Park City. It is a yearlong training program meant to prepare people for important roles in public life.

The program is accepting applications for its next class — its nineteenth — through Aug. 24. Class number 19 will run from October until the following October. The organizers typically receive a little more than 100 applications each year for the 30 spots filled by adults. There are also two spots for high school students.

There is a roster of current and former elected officials with Leadership Park City on their resumes. Mayor Dana Williams and three of the five current members of the Park City Council are graduates, Cilva-Ward said. Two Summit County Councilors also completed Leadership Park City, she said, noting that Donna McAleer, the Democratic congressional candidate in the district that encompasses Summit County, is also a graduate. There are nearly 600 graduates of the program.

"I can’t imagine what the community would be like without the work Leadership graduates are doing," said Lisa Cilva-Ward, one of the co-directors of the program.

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Leadership Park City introduces members to the inner workings of the government while also addressing topics like the not-for-profit sector, diversity and the economy. There are monthly daylong sessions that feature numerous speakers.

Some of the sessions planned for the 2012-2013 class include:

a visit to the Capitol on Jan. 21

the realities of the economy on Feb. 11

diversity training on May 20

team building and ethics on June 24

The people in Leadership Park City also incubate their own projects. Cilva-Ward recalled one of the founders of the Park Silly Sunday Market solidifying the idea while a part of the program.

The members of the Leadership Park City program also attend the annual City Tour to other communities in the West. The next Leadership Park City class is scheduled to travel on the City Tour Sept. 4-8, 2013. The destination will be set next year. The current class is headed to Las Vegas and Brian Head Resort this September.

Each Leadership Park City class, meanwhile, develops a group project to press an issue. Past classes have chosen topics like civility in public life and reducing the use of plastic bags.

The Leadership Park City application inquires about a person’s community interest and asks for two local references. People who are selected are awarded $1,000 scholarships to cover the costs of the program.

The program is open to anyone who lives or works in Park City and surrounding Summit County. A selection committee consisting of approximately 30 people, including graduates and program sponsors, pick the class members.

For more information, contact Cilva-Ward at 645-7206 or lisa@wardcomm.com. Information is also available on City Hall’s website, http://www.parkcity.org. Select the ‘Leadership Park City’ link on the front page.